JiWire: Wi-Fi connections important for shopping consumers

Wi-Fi connections may have some security issues according to experts, but those issues aren't turning consumers off. New data from JiWire indicates traffic from both smartphones and tablets via Wi-Fi have increased significantly over the past quarter, with most users citing the faster connection as the reason they're using public Wi-Fi over 3G/4G connections.

Consumers are also interested in avoiding data plan charges and using Wi-Fi for streaming content while on the go.

In March, comScore found the top smartphone platforms were Google (51% market share), Apple (30.7% market share) and RIM (12% market share); 106 million Americans are now using smartphones. Texting (74%), downloaded apps (50%) and mobile browsers (49%) were the three top actions used on smartphones.

Another hotspot? According to the latest JiWire Mobile Audience Insights Report mobile wallets are also gaining steam. More than one-third (37%) of mobile consumers are now utilizing mobile wallets (Q1 2012); their research also shows nearly 10% of those who haven't used a mobile wallet are interested in the concept. Of those using mobile wallets nearly half (46%) use Paypal, 29% have used Amazon and 18% have used Google Wallet.

"This rapid adoption of mobile wallets reinforces that the market is reop for this sort of technological advance. Consumers seem to be both comfortable and curious about using their mobile phones to purchase," said Dee Dee Paeseler, Director of Strategic Marketing, JiWire. "Brands and retailers should take note: this trend is key in closing the loop, making location context even more important as the peak intersection point for reaching the right consumers at precisely the right time."

Meanwhile, Wi-Fi traffic from smartphones has increased to 31% while tablets account for 14% of Wi-Fi traffic. Laptop traffic has decreased from 70% (Q1 2011) to 55% (Q1 2012).